


Visitor

by NancyandNed



Series: Today Until Forever [11]
Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, College, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Insecurity, Insomnia, Late Night Conversations, Long-Distance Relationship, Love, Promises, Sleepy Cuddles, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:48:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23972521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NancyandNed/pseuds/NancyandNed
Summary: It's the night before Ned leaves for college.
Relationships: Nancy Drew/Ned Nickerson
Series: Today Until Forever [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665985
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Visitor

Nancy suppressed the urge to groan as Bess snored beside her. Peering over the edge of the twin bed in Bess's room she found that George was also fast asleep on the mattress on the floor.

Sighing, she rolled over onto her stomach and closed her eyes, willing sleep to come. All in vain.

Tomorrow, Ned would be leaving to start his freshman year at Emerson. After two years of living in the same city and seeing each other everyday, now he was going to be almost two hours away and she'd be lucky if she got to meet him a couple of times every month.

She wasn't insecure.Or at least she hadn't been. But how many couples did she know who had broken up because of distance? Dozens. How many people did she know whose high school romances had lasted? Hardly any.

Ned would never hurt her by doing something behind her back. That much she was sure of. But with her not physically there to remind him, there was no guarantee that distance wouldn't dull the romance and his feelings for her.

Long distance. For a whole year before she could join him at Emerson.

Her father and Hannah had done their best to cheer her up. And when Bess had invited them over for a sleepover as her parents were away, her father had insisted that she go. Her two best friends had also tried everything in their power to reassure her.

But they were as fond of Ned as she was. Could their judgement be prejudiced?

Nancy sighed. There was no way she was going to get any sleep tonight.

I need some air, she thought. She had just climbed out of bed when her eyes fell on her car keys.

From experience she knew that not even a tornado could wake the cousins. The sound of a car definitely wouldn't.

Without giving it a second thought, she scribbled out a note and placed it on her pillow. Then grabbing her keys and phone, she let herself out of the house and drove away.

Ned stared up at the ceiling in his room.

He knew that he should be properly rested for the fairly long drive tomorrow but sleep had evaded him.

Tomorrow he would be going to college.

He was pretty excited. He had spent a lot of time deciding between colleges and Emerson had been the best around. Especially its sports programme. There was a lot he was looking forward to.

At the same time he couldn't help but feel a little sad. So much was going to change.

After eighteen years of coming back home to his parents, he would now be coming back to an empty dorm room. Maybe a roommate.

There were so many other people too he was leaving behind. His grandparents, his friends from school who'd decided on colleges all across the country. Nancy.

God he would miss her. Her hands that looked so small within his, those blue eyes he could drown in, her red blonde hair that always smelled like flowers.

He wished he could relive the summer. Baking with Hannah at her house, watching thrillers and whodunnits in his den, talking about anything and everything on the porch. He grinned. That one always ended in a quick makeout session.

Even if they were doing their own thing, just being around Nancy made him so happy.

He was a year older than her and it had been obvious that he'd be going off to college before her. Once he'd been accepted into Emerson they had talked about what they wanted and he'd been more than relieved when she had agreed to a long distance relationship.

But was that realistic? They wouldn't be seeing each other for weeks at a time such as during midterms. She had school too. He couldn't expect her to visit every weekend either.

And he admitted that he was a little insecure. Nancy wasn't just drop dead gorgeous, she was incredibly smart too. Some people were intrigued by her but most others looked up to her and wanted to be around her. He knew for a fact that a lot of guys at school had their eyes on her.

Hadn't Josh Miller tried to shoot his shot with her during his senior and her junior prom? Nancy had brushed him off then. But distance could get in the way. He trusted her but if she fell for someone else while he was away, he would understand. Even though it would break his heart into a million tiny pieces.

Ned sighed heavily and turned onto his side. His eyes fell on the photo frame on his nightstand. Despite everything it brought a smile to his face.

It was a double frame. The first picture was the original one from almost two years ago when Nancy had first said she loved him. The other was a more recent one from prom, their arms around each other as they beamed at the camera.

He hadn't wanted to move this one so he'd bought a similar frame and printed out a few pictures to take with him.

He wished he could stop time and go on another date with her. Their last one for a while had been earlier that afternoon. He would see her again tomorrow, before he left but only for a few minutes.

He wished he could call her but she was probably sleeping and George and Bess...

Suddenly his phone lit up with a text message.

_Hey. You awake?_

_Yeah. What's up?_

_Open the window to your room._

He did. Nancy stood outside. Still in her pajamas.

Ned had hardly helped her into the room when she pulled him into a long kiss. They collapsed onto the bean bag in the corner, shushing their giggles with more kisses.

"How did you even get here?" He asked when they finally drew up for air.

"My car. Parked it down the street. Then maple tree in your backyard."

"Nancy Drew, that leads up to right outside my parents room."

"I guess all the sneaking around I have to do has been good practice." She grinned.

Ned shook his head in amazement. Oh how much he loved this girl.

"You know, it's usually the guy who sneaks into the girl's room." He whispered, putting an arm around her and drawing her close.

"Maybe I don't want us to be the usual couple."

All of a sudden, the corners of her mouth turned down. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Ned, are we going to be okay?"

He had guessed that this was the reason why she was here in the middle of the night.

"What makes you think we won't?" He took her hand in his.

"It's just that...I know you're not going too far away. But it's a whole new world out there for you, Ned. You'll meet so many new people. Experience new things. I..I guess I'm just worried you might realise you're missing out on a lot because you're bound to me."

"Nan. I'm not bound to you. I'm with you because I love you. And the only thing I'll be missing is this. Us. I'll be missing it every single minute before we see each other again."

"Even when those pretty cheerleaders are fawning all over you?"

He chuckled softly at that.

"I've told you, Nan cheerleaders aren't my type. And believe me sometimes I get insecure too. But I trust you. And if you must know, I like a specific kind of girl. Tall, blue eyed redhead. Drop dead gorgeous. And she also has to be the best detective I've ever known. Oh! her name should be Nancy Drew. That one's a must. You know, I'm pretty sure there's just one in the whole world." He smiled at her.

She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck in a long embrace.

"I trust you too. But you have to promise me something." She whispered looking right into his eyes.

"What?"

"If you meet someone else, you have to let me know right away."

"Nan I won't meet.."

"Promise me, Ned. It'll just make us both miserable otherwise."

"I promise."

She gave him a small smile.

"But I want you to promise me something too."

"Like what?"

This was what sometimes kept him awake at night. The thing was, it seemed like the more dangerous Nancy's cases got, the less serious she became about her own safety. Ned loved watching her work and he was so incredibly proud of what she did for others. But it pained him to see her hurt. Though he knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, sometimes all he wanted was to protect her and keep her safe.

"Whatever new case you're working on, you have to let me know. Even if you don't want my help. And promise me you will be more careful."

"Ned I am careful.." Nancy began to protest.

"Really?" He tilted her chin and she flinched when his fingers brushed the fading bruise on the underside of her jaw. A souvenir from her last case.

"I'm serious, Nan. In the past year you've dealt with kidnappers, arsonists, murderers and God knows who else. I cannot be more proud of you but at the same time it scares me that one day I might just call and then find out something happened to you."

"I'll be careful, Ned. I promise." And he was happy to see the conviction on her face.

"But..if I do need someone strong and smart to help me catch the criminals and you're busy with exams?" She smiled at him coyly.

"I'm sure ten years from now, the story of how my girlfriend and I solved a crime would be more fun to tell than the story of how I aced some test."

She laughed softly and shifted her position until her head was on his chest, tucked in below his chin.

"You know Ned, so much is going to change. But I think we're going to be okay." She murmured.

"There's a lot that won't. I'll still be home every weekend I can. We will talk on the phone. And I'll be here for your prom..."

It was then that Ned realised that Nancy had fallen asleep, snuggled against him.

Smiling giddily, he reached for his alarm and set it so that they could wake up before his parents. Then, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, he looped an arm around her and went to sleep.

He had just one thought in his mind. The fact that Nancy had come all the way here in the middle of the night had left no doubt.

They wore going to be okay. They were going to be more than okay.


End file.
